Delivering the ANC’s January 8 statement in Khayelitsha recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “We find the most important area of government, local government, has not been functioning as well as it should.” It’s an admission of the obvious, but welcome nonetheless.

Most of the country’s 257 municipalities are floundering — unable to provide even basic services, failing to manage their finances and deep in debt.  Joburg Water has an infrastructure upgrade and maintenance backlog of about R27bn...

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